Dual clothespin



Oct. 10, 1967 L. ESCAPA DUAL CLOTHESP I N Filed Sept. 30, 1965 L ucy Escapa IN VEN TOR.

United States Patent f 3,345,708 DUAL CLOTHESPIN Lucy Escapa, 276 HenrySt., Brooklyn, NY. 11201 Filed Sept. 30, 1965, Ser. No. 491,788 6Claims. (Cl. 24-137) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The clothespin shown ischaracterized by an elongated plate of suitable shape, size and materialpreferably with flat sides and provided at its respective ends withkeyhole shaped slots constituting keepers. A single suitably elongatedand appropriately narrowed strap has a median portion riveted to amedian portion of the plate and has longitudinally bowed resilientself-shaped retaining flexible end portions terminating in normallydisengaged finger tabs. Each tab has a headed stud constituting afastener normally spaced from but releasably engageable with thecoacting keeper slot.

The present invention relates to a clothespin which is distinguishablefrom commonly used clothespins in that it is characterized by anelongated plate or an equivalent body member which is provided withfastening means at both ends and which, in addition, is provided at atleast one end with conveniently arranged hook means which, when it isdesired to use the same, can be releasably hooked over a clothesline, agarment hanger or other support means.

A general objective of the present invention is to structurally,functionally and in other practical ways to improve upon prior artclothespins, to advance this line of endeavor and, in so doing, toprovide a clothespin which will comply with manufacturing requirementsand economies of manufacture, is such that it can be unhesitatinglyrecommended for sale and use by retailers, and will serve the purposesand needs of prospective users.

Briefly summarized, the improved dual purpose clothespin comprises asuitably shaped elongated plate. This plate is provided at least at oneend with a keyhole slot. As a matter of fact, it is preferably providedat both ends with selectively usable keyhole slots, the latter beingcentralized and extending lengthwise and being located on opposite sidesof the transverse median center of the plate. The inner larger endportions of the respective keyhole slots are positioned or locatedinwardly and the narrower or restricted end portions are situatedoutwardly that is adjacent the corresponding end portions of the plate.These keyhole slots serve to accommodate insertable and removablegarment attaching and securing button-like fasteners. More particularly,each fastener is characterized by a stem. or stud having a head on theouter end and wherein the stud is attached to a flexible tabconstituting a free end portion of a flexible strap, the median portionof said strap being riveted or otherwise equivalently connected to themedian portion of said plate.

Another object of the invention is to provide a clothespin wherein,inaddition to the keyhole slots and strapretained headed fasteners,outstanding hooks are formed integrally with the respective or oppositeend portions of said plate, said hooks being conveniently usablewhenever necessary or desired.

Stated somewhat more explicitly, the invention has to do with anelongated plate which can be ellipsoidal in plan and which is providedat its respective ends with properly proportioned and located keyholeslots to accommodate the headed studs, said studs being mounted on freeend portions of a strap. The strap is secured intermediate its ends tothe median portion of the plate and the outer free ends provide fingergrippable and actuatable tabs which carry the stud portions of theheaded fasteners, that is fasteners which are positioned for cooperationwith their respective keyhole slots.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective showing a dual purpose clothespin andhow it is constructed and can be used to attach one garment to andsuspend the same from a lower edge portion of an upperclothesline-supported garment.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken on the plane of thesection line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front elevation, that is a view observing what may be calledthe front side of the clothespin shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of the opposite or rear side of theimproved clothespin.

The improved clothespin comprises an elongated ellipsoidal body memberwhich is here referred to, specifically speaking, as a rigid flat facedplate 6. The median transverse relatively wide portion is denoted at 8and the duplicate upper and lower end portions are denoted at 10 and 12respectively. Each end portion is provided with an integral laterallyprojecting hook, the upper one denoted (FIG. 1) by the numeral 14 andthe lower one by the numeral 16. These hooks are optionally usable inthat the user may desire to hang either hook on a clothesline (notshown) and then fasten a marginal edge portion of a garment thereto. Assuggested, it is within the purview of the concept to use either one ortwo hooks, preferably two. The respective slotted end portions of theplate are the same and to simplify the description it is to be pointedout that each end portion of the plate is provided with a centrallongitudinally extending keyhole slot having an enlarged end portion 18adjacent to the median portion 8 of the plate and outwardly extendingrelatively narrow portion 20. It is within the purview of the inventionto employ a single keyhole slot and fastening means therefor but asexperience has shown, it is deemed feasible and advisable to providekeyhole slots at each end of the plate. It follows too that garmentclasping orretaining means is also provided at each slotted end. Themeans in each instance comprises a button-like headed stud, the studportion of which is denoted at 22 (FIG. 2) having a suitable button-likehead 24 thereon.

Keeping in mind the dual aspect of the concept adapter means is providedfor mounting the button-like fasteners in position on the plate and thismeans comprises an elongated flexible self-shape-sustaining plastic orequivalent strap 26 which is shown in FIG. 2 as a median portion 28superimposed on the median part 8 of the plate and riveted or otherwisesecured thereto as at 30. The end portions 32 are flexible and freelybendable. The free end portions 34 constitute manually grippable andactuatable tabs. The headed fastener is mounted on the tab in such amanner that it can be lined up with the enlarged end portion 18 of thekeyhole slot and then slid up in the narrow portion of the slot in agenerally well known manner such as is done in socalled garterfasteners.

As is thought to be evident from FIG. 1, the herein disclosedmultipurpose or dual clothespin lends itself to practical use where, forexample, the upper garment A is fastened by a regular clothespin to asuspended clothesline (not shown), and wherein space is limited one 3desires to suspend a second garment B directly below the garment A andutilize the improved clothespin to accomplish this result. With thisthought in mind it Will be evident that the lower edge portion C ofgarment A is buttoned, so to speak, to the keyhole slot at the upperpart of the plate 6. Then the cooperating edge portion D of the secondgarment is buttoned and clasped by way of the button fastener andkeyhole slot to the lower end portion, say the end portion 12 of FIG. 1.Accordingly, garment A provides a support means for the detachablyconnected clothespin and the clothespin in turn is attached to andsuspends the second garment B. The fact that the fastening means is thesame at both ends of the plate it makes no difference which end isconsidered as the upper end in FIG. 1. It will also be evident that theside of the plate opposite the side on which the strap means is mountedis provided with hooks 14 and 16 which under certain circumstances canbe hooked over a line so that this clothespin can be used much like anyother clothespin which is being marketed (not shown).

It is evident that the clothespin herein disclosed provides a range andscope of usefulness and capability which is destined to interest userswhere space for clotheslines is at a premium. Accordingly, it will servethe unique purposes for which it has been devised for use.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A clothespin comprising an elongated plate having hook means at atleast one end capable of being detachably connected whenever necessaryor desird to support means such as, for example, a suspendedclothesline,

said plate having a lengthwise keyhole slot at said one end, abutton-type garment clasp embodying a stud adapted to be cooperativelylined up with and fitted into the restricted end portion of said slot,said stud provided at a free outer end with an enlarged studpositioningand retaining head which is adapted to be passed freely through theusual enlarged end portion of said keyhole slot and retained releasablyin place by said restricted end portion, and a flexible adapter straphaving a portion anchored on a median part of said plate and a readilyattachable and detachable free ended tab portion manually movable towardand from said slot, said stud being fixedly joined to and carried bysaid tap portion, said hook means being positioned closely adjacent therestricted end portion of an associated slot so that an associated studwhen in garment engaging position is opposite the free end portion ofsaid hook means and normally restricts the opening of the hook means toprevent inadvertent release of the hook means from an associated supportmeans.

2. The clothespin according to claim 1, and wherein said plate is alsoprovided at its other end with alternatively usable hook meanscorresponding to said first named hook means.

3. The clothespin according to claim 1, and wherein said plate is alsoprovided at its other end with a second lengthwise selectively usablekeyhole slot.

4. The structure defined in claim 3 and, in combination, a secondbutton-type garment clasp embodying a 4 stud adapted to be cooperativelylined up with and fitted into the restricted end portion of said secondnamed keyhole slot, and flexible tab means anchoring said second garmentclasp on said plate.

5. A clothespin comprising an elongated plate with flat sides andprovided at its respective ends with keyholeshaped slots, said slotsbeing longitudinally centralized and having their larger end portionsdisposed inwardly toward the median portion of the plate, a strap havinga median portion attached to one side of the median part of said plate,having flexible end portions terminating in finger grippable tabs, eachtab being provided with a stud and a head on said stud providing aheaded fastener capable of alignable attachable and detachablecooperation with the adjacent coordinating slot, said plate beingprovided on one side at opposite ends thereof with outstanding integralplate attaching and suspending hooks which are located closely adjacenttheir respective restricted end portions of coacting slots so that eachassociated stud when in garment engaging position is opposite thecoacting free end portion of the associated hook and accordinglyfunctions to restrict the entrance opending to the hook in a manner toprevent inadvertent release of the hook from an associated supportmeans.

6. A clothespin of the class described comprising an elongated rigidplate having correspondingly elongated flat sides and provided at itsrespective ends with keyhole shaped keeper slots, said slots beinglongitudinally centralized relative to adjacent marginal edge portionsof the plate when having their larger end portions disposed inwardlytoward a median portion of said plate, a single strap made of flexibleresilient self-shape-sustaining plastic material, said strap having amedian portion thereof superimposed upon and fixed to a cooperating sideof the median portion of said plate and located substantially midwaybetween the respective keyhole shaped keeper slots, said straps havinglongitudinally bowed self-shape-sustaining but flexible free endportions terminating in finger grippable finger tabs, each tab beingprovided with an integral stud terminating in a head and said stud andhead providing a fastener capable of alignable attachable and detachablecooperation with the adjacent coordinating keeper slot, the inherentproperties of each tab functioning to locate and retain its companionheaded fastener in a normal position disengaged from the coordinatingslot but in constant readiness and alignment for coacting retentiveengagement with a predetermined portion of its slot, whereby said headedfastener can and does assume a normal ready-for-use position relative tothe adjacent face of the plate as well as the predetermined orientedlocale of said keeper slot, and said plate being provided with at leastone integral outstanding plate attaching and suspending hook capable ofattachment to support means, for example, a clothesline.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 200,633 2/ 1878 Walker 24-245449,817 4/1891 Kibbe 24245 473,629 4/1892 Kelly 24--81 721,264 2/ 1903Wernig 24246 1,237,232 8/1917 Wing. 1,593,973 7/ 1926 Holdsworth.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

DONALD A. GRIFFIN, Examiner.

1. A CLOTHESPIN COMPRISING AN ELONGATED PLATE HAVING HOOK MEANS AT ATLEAST ONE END CAPABLE OF BEING DETACHABLY CONNECTED WHENEVER NECESSARYOR DESIRED TO SUPPORT MEANS SUCH AS, FOR EXAMPLE, A SUSPENDEDCLOTHESLINE, SAID PLATE HAVING A LENGTHWISE KEYHOLE SLOT AT SAID ONEEND, A BUTTON-TYPE GARMENT CLASP EMBODYING A STUD ADAPTED TO BECOOPERATIVELY LINED UP WITH AND FITTED INTO THE RESTRICTED END PORTIONOF SAID SLOT, SAID STUDPROVIDED AT A FREE OUTER END WITH AN ENLARGEDSTUDPOSITIONING AND RETAINING HEAD WHICH IS ADAPTED TO BE PASSED FREELYTHROUGH THE USUAL ENLARGED END PORTION OF SAID KEYHOLE SLOT AND RETAINEDRELEASABLY IN PLACE BY SAID RESTRICTED END PORTION, AND A FLEXIBLEADAPTER STRAP HAVING A PORTION ENCHORED ON A MEDIAN PART AND A READILYATTACHABLE AND DETACHABLE FREE ENDED TAB PORTION MANUALLY MOVABLE TOWARDAND FROM SAID SLOT, SAID STUD BEING FIXEDLY JOINED TO AND CARRIED BYSAID TAP PORTION, SAID HOOK MEANS BEING POSITIONED CLOSELY ADJACENT THERESTRICTED END PORTION OF AN ASSOCIATED SLOT SO THAT AN ASSOCIATED STUDWHEN IN GARMENT ENGAGING POSITION IS OPPOSITE THE FREE END PORTION OFSAID HOOK MEANS AND NORMALLY RESTRICTS THE OPENING OF THE HOOK MEANS TOPREVENT INADVERTENT RELEASE OF THE HOOK MEANS FROM AN ASSOCIATED SUPPORTMEANS.